The present invention relates to loader apparatuses for paintball markers, and more particularly the invention relates to apparatuses which include removable paintball cartridges.
Paintball games are today played with sophisticated paintball markers that can shoot as fast as the finger can pull the trigger. The marker is equipped with a fixed bulk loader which is mounted onto the paintball inlet of the marker. The paintballs are gravity fed from the loader into the paintball inlet of the marker often with the aid of a motorized flow assistor paddle or wheel located in the loader. The flow assistor is activated when a sensor in the neck of the loader senses an absence of paintballs leading down into the paintball inlet of the marker.
Many problems exist with these conventional loaders. Because the paintballs are gravity fed, the paintball marker must be held in a substantially vertical orientation in order that paintballs can be fed into the marker. As the angle of orientation of the marker changes away from the vertical, the efficiency of the paintball feed is reduced. At some critical angle, which varies depending on the design of the loader, paintball feed into the inlet of the marker, stops completely, making the marker ineffective. Furthermore, the sensors located in the neck of the loader, upon detecting the lack of paintball flow, will activate the flow assistor in an attempt to initiate paintball flow. The noise caused by the flow assistor actuation can inadvertently give away the location of the game player to others. While the activation of the flow assistor is important to maintain paintball flow, it is also important that the activation be kept infrequent to reduce the risk of disclosing the player""s location to others. Furthermore, when a player moves a marker with a partially full loader, the paintballs inside the loader can rattle, also giving away the player""s location.
Another common problem with conventional loaders is that the process for refilling an empty loader is both cumbersome and time consuming. The end cap on the loader must be opened and the player must fill the loader by pouring paintballs from a paintball storage tube which is carried on the player""s belt. The reloading process, while slow, is also prone to causing unwanted noise.
Another problem with conventional loaders is that the power source for the motor can fail during play, and is difficult and time consuming to replace.
Consequently, there is a need for a paintball loader apparatus for a marker that enables the marker to be operated in any orientation, that reduces unwanted noise from the flow assistor device and from the paintballs, and that enables the player to reload the loader with new paintballs and with a fresh power source quickly.
In a first aspect, the invention is directed to a loader apparatus for use with a paintball marker having a paintball inlet, whereby the loader apparatus includes a base attachable to the paintball marker, a cartridge removably attachable to the base, and a delivery conduit. The base includes a motor which drives a first driven means. The cartridge includes a chamber for paintballs, the chamber defining a paintball outlet, and having a second driven means which is operatively connected to a flow assistor. The second driven means connects to the first driven means when the cartridge is attached to the base. The delivery conduit is in flow communication with the paintball outlet of the chamber and with the paintball inlet of the paintball marker when the cartridge is attached to the base and the base is mounted on the paintball marker.
In a preferred embodiment of this aspect of the invention, the loader may further include a pressurizing member in the chamber of the cartridge. The pressurizing member pushes paintballs in the chamber towards the paintball outlet.
In a second aspect, the invention is directed to a loader apparatus for use with a paintball marker having a paintball inlet, the loader apparatus including a cartridge and a delivery conduit. The cartridge includes a chamber for paintballs, the chamber defining a paintball outlet, and a pressurizing member for maintaining a force on the paintballs in the chamber towards the paintball outlet. The delivery conduit is in flow communication with the paintball outlet of the chamber, and with the paintball inlet of the paintball marker when the loader is attached to the paintball marker.
In a third aspect, the invention is directed to a loader apparatus for use with a paintball marker having a paintball inlet. The loader apparatus includes a cartridge having a chamber for paintballs having a paintball outlet, a rotatable flow assistor, a delivery conduit, a motor and driven means. The rotatable flow assistor has a funnel shaped agitation surface for agitating paintballs. The agitation surface has a large end and a small end. The small end is connected to the paintball outlet. The flow assistor is positioned within the chamber so that during rotation, the large end is adapted for receiving paintballs and the small end is adapted for discharging paintballs out of the outlet. The motor is for driving the flow assistor. The driven means is for connecting the flow assistor to the motor. The delivery conduit is in flow communication with the paintball outlet of the chamber, and with the paintball inlet of the paintball marker when the loader is attached to the paintball marker.
In a fourth aspect, the invention is directed to a loader apparatus for use with a paintball marker having a paintball inlet. The loader apparatus includes a base attachable to the paintball marker, a cartridge having a chamber for paintballs, a delivery conduit, a flow assistor and a battery pack. The base includes a motor and a first mating surface. The cartridge includes a chamber for paintballs. The chamber has a paintball outlet. The delivery conduit is in flow communication with the paintball outlet of the chamber, and with the paintball inlet of the paintball marker when the loader is attached to the paintball marker. The flow assistor assists the flow of paintballs towards the paintball outlet. The motor is for driving the flow assistor. Driven means are included for connecting the flow assistor to the motor. The battery pack includes a housing and a battery which is connectable to the motor by an electrical conduit. The housing includes a second mating surface. Holding means are included for releasably holding the first and second mating surfaces together.
In a fifth aspect, the present invention is directed to a belt for use with a paintball loader apparatus having a base for the mounting of cartridges of paintballs. The belt includes a strap and at least one cartridge mounting assembly connected to the strap. The cartridge mounting assembly is adapted for holding a cartridge. In a preferred embodiment of the third aspect, the belt includes at least one battery pack mounting assembly connected to the strap, for holding a battery pack.